Left Hand's 400 Pound Monkey - A Review

This weekend I had a beer that I've had many times before. I thought it would be perfect for my first beer review here, because I have more than just one bottle to base this on. I was turned on to 400 Pound Monkey by my friends back in Michigan at Siciliano's Market. Over a year later, I'm still buying 400 Pound Monkey from the guys at Siciliano's when I make it back to the mitten state.

I served myself up this delicious treat yesterday as the perfect footnote to a fun day in Cleveland. It poured well, not leaving too much of a head. It was a deep gold in color, with a relatively floral aroma. The thing I really enjoy about this beer is that it's a nice counterpart to the typical American style IPAs we have seen flourishing in the past few years. Instead of that punch of bitterness that most IPAs on the market offer, this beer has a more balanced, albeit delightful hop build. The malt flavor comes closer to the finish, and is a bit more present than other IPAs. However, it isn't off putting.

This beer is much more session-able that its more bitter kin. I would recommend it as a refreshing option for warm summer days, because it isn't too heavy and doesn't coat your mouth with a boozy finish.